hotwheelsfandomcom-20200222-history
Custom T-Bird
Description The Custom T-Bird is a Hot Wheels casting, which was designed by Harry Bradley and debuted among the 'Original 16' in 1968. It is based on the real-life 1967 Ford Thunderbird. It features a die-cast body and chassis (base) and an opening hood which reveals a detailed engine. The Custom T-Bird was manufactured in both the USA and Hong Kong production facilities and there are several differences between the two. USA versions were produced with clear glass and silver wheels, while Hong Kong (HK) had blue tinted glass and chrome wheels (all T-Birds came with 'Bearing' style Redline wheels). HK cars had an unpainted bare metal grille, and USA cars had a black painted grille which could be found completely painted black, or with the Thunderbird emblem unpainted. The front fender wells of USA T-Birds are larger and higher cut than their HK counterparts and the cowls are also larger. The Custom T-Bird featured painted rear taillights with USA versions painted in a metallic darker red and HK with a bright flat red. There are several differences between USA and HK bases, most notably the lack of suspension detail and four square holes (to view the bent-axel suspension) on the USA version, there are also multiple variations of the layout and size of the copyright information. Multiple colored interiors could be found on the Custom T-Bird. USA interiors could be found in White, Tan or Dark Brown and HK interiors in White, Olive/Gray, Gray/Brown, Silver and Brown. Hong Kong cars had a seperate black steering wheel while USA cars had the steering wheel molded into the plastic. The Custom T-Bird was painted in a wide variety of Spectraflame colors of which there are a handful of hard-to-find and rare versions. All Hong Kong cars and most USA cars came with a black painted roof which simulated the vinyl roof of the real car. USA 'No-Black-Roof' (NBR) cars are fairly uncommon and most notably the Spectraflame Gold NBR with a white interior, which could only be found in 1968 Store Displays. During the end of the Custom T-Bird's production, the USA casting was modified in preparation for the TNT-Bird. The modified casting featured 'Door Lines' and are very rare. In 2018, the Custom T-Bird was re-tooled for the HotWheelsCollectors.com Original 16 Series based on the original Hong Kong version. USA Versions The Custom T-Bird has come out in the following versions: Hong Kong Versions The Custom T-Bird has come out in the following versions: Retooled Versions Gallery 1968 Custom T-Bird Hong Kong BAse.jpg|Custom T-Bird Hong Kong Base 1968 TBIRD Aqua HK Dark Int.jpg Notes *Some guides list Hong Kong Spectraflame Light Blue, this is unconfirmed. *Early produced Hong Kong Aqua and Gold cars could be found with 'Deep Dish' wheels. External Links *HotWheelsCollectors.com Original 16: CUSTOM T-BIRD Category:Licensed Hot Wheels Category:Harry Bradley Designs Category:Original 16 Category:1968 Hot Wheels Category:Ford Vehicles Category:T-Birds Category:American Cars Category:Vehicles with Movable Parts Category:Muscle Cars Category:2018 Hot Wheels Category:Mark Jones Designs Category:Retooled Versions Category:HotWheelsCollectors.com Series Category:Coupes